Method of manufacturing hydrometer floats



July 7, 1931'. H. E. CHRISTIE ET AL METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HYDROMETER FLOATS Filed June 7, 1927 Mag Mom x54,

Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT errant:

HOWARD E. CHRISTIE AND KIBBEY W. COUSE, OF BRONX, NEW YORK METHOD 01 MANUFACTURING HYDROMETER FLOATS Application filed June 7, 1927. Serial No. 197,19 1.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing hydrometer floats, an object of the invention being to provide an improved method whereby hydrometer floats may be 8] readily manufactured in such a manner that in use they will always float in a desired substantially perpendicular position in their supporting medium.

In the manufacture of hydrometer floats as 1 heretofore practiced it has been customary to arrange the weight element, which is at the bottom of the float, in a substantially central position, almost irrespective of other considerations, and to depend upon this centralized 15 position of the weight to hold the float in as near a perpendicular position as it may.

Owing to the almost inevitable presence of more or less prominent irregularities in the form and contourof the glass tube compriszo ing the main bulk of the float it has almost invariably resulted that a preponderance of Weight of the glass would occur at one side or the other of the axial centre line and result in pulling the float 'more or less toward the weighty side and out of the desired perpendicular position.

It has been the exception, rather than the rule, to find a completed hydrometer float so balanced as to float in a true vertical position. 7

According to the present method however the floats may readily be made to float in perpendicular position.

7 The improved method is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the steps illustrated therein being described in detail as follows First, assuming the hydrometer float to comprise the usual tubular hollow glass body as L and to have a quantity of weighty mate rial G within its bottom end such as wax or the like, either with or without the customary small lead pieces or shot as 11, therein, this hydrometer float is placed in a tank as 2 containing a quantity of heated fluid as 3. The temperature of the fluid 3 is not sufficient to melt the wax G but is sufficient to raise the temperature thereof and of the glass body L to a considerable degree for facilitating the next step of the method and preventing rupture of the glass body.

Second, the float, now warm, is lifted from the tank 2 and transferred to a-second tank as 4 containing a quantity of heated liquid '5.

The temperature of the liquid 5 is'sufliciently v great to melt the waX G to a point where it is 155 mobile within the glass body. If the small lead pieces or shot are present the same will be independently movable within the moltenwaxsothatthey may be readily manuv ally moved within said molten wax. When 60 the wax has reached a proper stage of fluid ity the operator will manually tip the glass body L over in a direction opposite to the direction in which it originally stood within the liquid 5. He may accomplish this by merely pushing over the upper end of the glass body without lifting the body fromthe liquid 5, or he may lift the body from. the liquid as indicated by the dotted lines in the drawing, in either case causing the molten wax, and the shot if present, to shift their positions within thebody. If he has lifted the body from the liquid he now returns it and in any event he allows it to float within the liquid. If the shifting movement of the 75 wax'etcyhas been just right to cause the body to now float in a satisfactory vertical position the float is removed from the tank l. If the" shifting movement of the wax has been too I little or toomuch to produce the desired result the operator simply repeats the operation as may be necessary until the desired perpendicular floating position is obtained preparatory to final removal of the float from the tank 4:. p Third, as soon as the desired degree of shift has been secured for the weighty material within the body L, and the floathas been finally removed from the tank 4 it is immediately transferred to a third tank as 6 which contains a quantity of heated fluid as 7. The temperature of the fluid 7 is considerably lower than the temperature of the fluid 5 in tank 4 so that the wax etc. comprising the weighty material within the body of the float will again solidify while the float is floating in a perpendicular position within the third tank. The heat of the liquid 7 will also maintain the glass ofthe bodyL and the weighty material therein at substantially equal temperatures during the cooling of these parts, and thus prevent fracture of the glass.

Fourth, when the wax etc. within the body of the float has attained a suitably solid condition the operation is completed, and the float may be removed from the tank ready for commercial use.

Ordinary clear water may be employed within the tanks 2 and 6 as this medium may be readily maintained at a temperature less than the melting point of the wax G.

In the tank 4 a liquid should be employed which may be readily raised to or above the melting point of the wax, such for instance as glycerine or other appropriate fluid, it being here noted that glycerine and like materials of relatively great specific gravity will cause the float to float at a relatively higher level therein than the same float would float in water or other liquids of relatively lower specific gravity. Hence the tests as t0 the results of the shifting operations performed in the tank at are carried out while the float stands at a relatively higher level in its supporting medium than it will probably stand in commercial use. The tests are therefore more sensitive and accurate than if performed in a medium of less specific gravity. In the subsequent commercial use of the float therefore the float will float in more nearly an exact perpendicular position than it did during the test or tests.

By means of this invention therefore floats may be commercially produced which in use will stand substantially perpendicular in their supporting medium, and since this supporting medium is usually contained within a cylindrical glass tube the element of friction between the float and its surrounding glass tube is largely eliminated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The herein described method of manufacturing hydrometer floats, which method consists in providing a hydrometer float having a weighty fusible material within the lower end portion thereof, reducing said fusible material to a mobile condition and shifting its position within the float while the float is floating in a suitable medium so as to secure a perpendicular floating condition of said float, and then allowing the weighty material to again solidify in its shifted position.

2. The herein described method of manu facturing hydrometer floats, which method consists in providing a hydrometer float having a weighty fusible material within the lower end portion thereof, heating said float in a body of heated liquid, transferring said float into a body of liquid of higher temperature than the first body sufficient to reduce material so as to secure a perpendicular floating condition of said float, and then allowing the weighty material to again solidify in its shifted position.

3. The herein described method of manufacturing hydrometer floats, which method consists in providing a hydrometer float having a weighty fusible material within the lower end portion thereof, heating said float in a body of heated fluid, transferring said float into a body of liquid of higher temperature than the first body sufficient to reduce the fusible material to a mobile condition, shifting the position of said mobile weighty material so as to secure a perpendicular floating condition of said float, and then transferring thefloat into a body of liquid of relatively lower temperature than the second body to thereby enable solidification of the fusible material while the fusible material remains in its shifted position.

l. The herein described method of manufacturing hydrometer floats, which method consists in providing a hydrometer float having a weighty fusible material within the lower end portion thereof, reducing said fusible material to a mobilecondition and shifting its position within the float while floating in a medium which is of relatively. greater specific gravity than the medium within which the floatis intended for use so as to secure a perpendicular floating condition of said float, and then allowing the weighty material to again solidify in its shifted position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

HOWARD E. CHRISTIE. KIBBEY W. COUSE.

the fusible material to a mobile condition, 7

shifting the position of said mobile weighty 

